For Syracuse school children, the federal government is easing the effects of state budget cuts.
“The stimulus funding definitely helps the students because we will be able to retain more teachers and keep programs for the students,” said Neil Driscoll, spokesman for the Syracuse school district.
The money will come from the $787.2 billion economic stimulus bill passed last week by Congress. On Tuesday, President Barack Obama signed the measure into law.
The federal stimulus funding, say local school officials, is much needed after cuts in aid from New York state left Syracuse schools scraping to overcome a $32 million deficit. The proposed school budget still has a $4.4 million funding gap.
Syracuse school officials are depending on stimulus funding to prevent some job cuts, to maintain programs for disadvantaged and special education students and to fund school construction projects.
But members of the teachers union say they want the cuts to be away from the classroom.
“We would like to see them trim the fat and think outside the box,” said Mike Foley, first vice president of the Syracuse Teachers Association. “We understand the economic situation and that cuts need to be made. But we want those cuts to be as far from the classroom as possible.”
For Syracuse and nationally, the stimulus package calls for money specifically for education, including:
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Services for students from low-income families
Syracuse schools will get $8.477 million over two years. School officials say this money will help provide academic intervention services, after-school academic programs and summer school for low-income students.
Nationally, the bill gives $13 billion for schools based on their low-income populations.
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Support for special education
Syracuse schools will get $6.253 million for special education over two years. These programs are always in need of more funding, say Syracuse school officials.
Nationally, $12.2 billion will go to special education.
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Aid for the state’s budget
It is not clear how much Syracuse schools will get from this funding to be distributed by the state. New York State is expected to get $2.7 billion to help close budget gaps and offset effects of cuts.
Syracuse school officials say they are hoping this funding will help close the $4.4 million funding gap they have for the 2009-2010 school year.
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Education jobs
The federal stimulus funding will save 66 jobs in Syracuse schools for the upcoming school year, say school officials. But even with the federal money, 128 jobs will be cut for the 2009-2010 school year, say school officials.
Cuts are being made to teachers and administrators across the board. But most of the cuts are among teachers, who make up the majority of school employees.
That’s too many jobs lost, said Dan Lowengard, superintendent of Syracuse schools. “It’s cutting too fast, and that’s not going to happen through attrition,” said Lowengard. “There are no good cuts in this.”
Nationally, the bill gives $53.6 billion to states to prevent cuts to services and jobs. This includes $39.5 billion nationally to school districts and public colleges.
For Syracuse schools, Superintendent Lowengard is looking to all levels of government to provide more funding.
“Now the federal, state and local government—even in this time of fiscal crisis—must do more,” Lowengard said, “to provide for the students who need it the most.”
(Laura Brandon is a senior with dual majors in newspaper journalism and political science.)
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